Lapped-seam body maker



v M. SCHAEFFER. LAPPED SEAM BODY MAKER:

APPLICATION FiLED OCT. L 1920.

1,434,229, I Patented Oct. 311, 11922.,

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

gm'ven T01 M wMWV M. SCHAEFFER.

LAPPED SEAM BODY MAKER:

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 7. 1920.

Patented 0@t.31,1922.

1A84LQQQO 2 SHEETSSHEET 2 Patented @ct. 31, 11922.

UNHTED STATES aerate entrant oernce.

WELLINGTON SCHAEIEFER, 01F BALTIMORE, MARYLAND, ASSIGNOR TO CONTINENTAL CAN COMPANY, OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND, A CORPORATION 015 NEW YORK.

TAPPED-SEAN BODY MAKER.

Application filed October 7, 1920. Serial N0. 315,358.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MiLLirIc'roN SCHAEF- ran, a. citizen of the United States, residing at Baltimore, State of Maryland, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Lapped-Seam Body Makers, of which the following is a description, reference being had to the accompanying draw ing and to the figures of reference marked thereon.

The invention relates to new and useful improvements in body makers for tin cans, and more particularly to a body maker which is adapted to lap the side edges of the blank forming the body portion and hold the same in lapped position while they are soldered.

An obect of the invention isto provide means for insuring that both of the overlapped edges shall be formed with the same radius of curvature so that they will lie fiat together throughout the entire extent of overlap, thus facilitating the soldering of the two edges with a minimum amount of solder.

In the drawings Figure 1 is a view in vertical section through the'forming rolls of a lapped seam body maker having my ignprovements embodied therein;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional view through the forming rolls and the parts adjacent thereto;

Fig. 3 is a plan View of the shaping bracket used in connection with the forming rolls and forming plate;

Fig. 4 is an end view of the same;

Fig. 5 is aview showing the overlapped edges of a can body improperly related to each other for efficient uniting with a minimum amount of solder; and

Fig. 6 is a similar view but showing the overlapped edges properly shaped and positioned for uniting.

The lapped seam body maker shown in part in the drawings is similar in construction to that shown and described in the patent to Abrams #949,722, granted February 15, 1910.

The metal blank forming the cylindrical body of the can passes through forming rolls with which cooperates a forming plate which causes the blank to be curwed into a' cylinder, and associated with the forming rolls and forming plate are clamping devices which clamp the body with the side edges thereof overlapped.

he machine shown in this patent operates in the Well-known manner to those skilled in this art, and further description thereof is not thought necessary. If the sheet metal from which the can bodies are made is of uniform thickness and of uniform temper throughout,a true cylindrical body will be produced wherein the overlapped edges will be formed with the same radius of curvature, and they may be united by a minimum amount of solder, thus making a strong joint. It sometimes happens, however, that certain parts of the sheet are tempered diderently than others so that the metal forming the blank may have harder sections than others, with the result that the forming plate will turn too sharply the entering edge of the blank so that when the body is finally shaped, the edges will not be formed of the same curvature and this interferes with the proper uniting of the same.

The present invention is directed broadly to a shapin plate which cooperates with the forming ro 1s and forming plate to insure the proper curvature of the entering edge of the blank so that the overlapped edges will be parallel throughout, and in proper contact for unitin Referring more in detail to the drawings, T have shown a lapped seam body maker consisting of a framework 1 supporting traveling horns indicated at 2 with which are associated clamping wings indicated at 3-'3.. These features are shown purely for the purpose of illustration and may be modified to any extent, the essential thing being that some means is provided for supporting the cylindrical body when it is finally formed and the holding of the same with the edges overlapped until it is properly soldered. The sheets are fed by means of a conveyor 4 along a guideway 5 and between the forming rolls 6 and 7. After passing through the forming rolls the edge of the sheet contacts with the forming plate 8 which directs the sheet or blank so as to cause it to curve into cylindrical form. This forming plate 8 is secured to the supporting bracket 9 by means of bolts 10 which pass through slot-s lit in the term i Fig. 6 of the drawings, I have shown the ing plate. By positioning this forming plate properly, a cylinder of the right d ameter may be formed. As above noted, it sometimes occurs that the sheet of metal is extremely hard. The blank forming the body is indicated in Figures 5 and 6 at 12. The entering edge indicated at 12 striking the forming plate 8 will be sharply bent under such conditions, and will retain this sharply bent position as indicated in Fig. 5 so that the overlapped edges are not formed with the same radius of curvature, and this results in an imperfect seam so that the body'must be rejected.

My improvement consists in a shaping plate 14 which is attached to a bracket arm 15 and this bracket arm 15 is clamped to a support 16 by means of a bolt 17 which passes through a slot 18 in the bracket arm 15. The shaping plate 14 is convex and extends to a point adjacent the surface of the lower forming roll. In Fig. 2 of the drawing I have shown in full lines, a blank passing through the forming rolls. It will be noted that the extreme forward edge, if too sharply curved or bent strikes this shaping plate 14 which uncurls or unrolls the advance edge of the blank until it is properly shaped so that the advance edge will be formed with the same radius of ourvature as the rear edge of the blank. In

can body 12 with the two edges 13 and 13 properly shaped and overlapped so that they may be united with a minimum amount of solder, and a firm perfect joint produced. This unfolding or re-shaping of the advance edge of the blank is caused by the shaping plate 14 cooperating with the forming rolls and the forming plate 8. As above noted, the resulting body formed through the combined action of these elements has its overlapped edges in contact throughout the entire extent of the overlap.

It will be noted that the shaping plate is supported by an arm at one end thereof only, and therefore, this shaping plate may lie wholly within the path of travel of the blankas it is formed into the cylinder, and

the forward feed of the blank is in the direction of the arrow in Fig. 3 which carries the cylindrical body ofi from the shap-' ing arm.

It is obvious that minor changes in the details of construction and the arrangement of the parts may be made without departing from the splrit of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

Having thus described the invention,

what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters-Patent, is

1. A lap seam body maker including in combination, a series of travelling horns,

vanced edge to correspond with the curvature of the rear edge of the blank which overlaps the same.

2. A lap seam body maker including in combination, a series of travelling horns,

forming rolls, a forming plate co-operating therewith for shaping the blank into a cylindrical body about the travelling horns, a convex shaping plate independent of the horns located within the path of travel of the blank adapted to engage the advanced edge of the blank for causing the curvature of said advanced edge to correspond with the curvature of the rear end of the blank which overlaps the same.

3. A lap seam body maker including in combination, a series of travelling horns, forming rolls, a forming plate co-operating therewith for shaping the blank into a cylindrical body about the travelling horns, a convex shaping plate independent of the horns and an adjustable arm supporting the same, said convex plate lying within the path of travel of the forward edge of the, blank and adapted to engage the advanced edge of the blank for causing the curvature of said advanced edge to correspond with the curvature of the rear edge of the blank which overlaps the same.

In testimony whereof, I afiix my signature.

MILLINGTON SCHAEFFER.

the blank into a 65 

